Free NOLA by Alexie Aaron Page B

rested.  No night feedings, no being told she’s snoring, no Ted.  She stretched and took a moment to appreciate the view before hitting the shower.  Thoughts of Ted and Brian stopped her.  Should she call to make sure everything was alright?  “No, I have to show Ted that I trust him.”  She continued into the bathroom and turned on the water.
    The steady stream of hot water eased any leftover stress she had from the previous evening.  She squinted at the labels of the complimentary trio of identical bath care products.  There was something that looked like an S.  Applying it to her hair, it lathered, so she had guessed correctly.
    Mia had been in denial that she needed to see an eye doctor.  She could read the larger print on hardcover books, but the smaller print of labels and price tags was getting tougher.  She did the “old trombone” maneuver of moving the tag back and forth until she could read it.  “I’m too young for reading glasses,” she announced to the bubbles that rose up from the massive lather she had going.  She had let her hair grow while she was pregnant, enjoying the dark blonde lowlight that had moved in with the Nordic blonde hair.  She decided that, as a new mother, the only grooming she would have time for was a rubber-band-secured ponytail.
    Ted called her new look Retro Barbie.  What would he call her when she had cheater eyewear on?  “I’m vain!” she said loudly.  “When did I become vain?”
    After toweling off, she wrapped a fresh towel around her body and walked from the tiled room to stand in front of a full length mirror in the grooming area of the suite.  She turned on the lights, announcing, “It’s now or never.”  She let the towel drop and stared at her post-pregnancy body.  Aside from a few stretch marks, that Judy said she should consider battle scars and leave, Mia’s body didn’t look too different from before she was married.  Her butt seemed a bit saggy though, and her left boob hung lower than she remembered.
    “What am I doing to myself?” she said, picking up the towel.  “I just need exercise and to avoid mirrors, and everything will be fine.”  Her bravado didn’t convince her though.  Mia sunk to the carpet and curled up into a ball.  Gone was the feisty woman who didn’t care what she wore and how she looked.  What was left was an insecure woman fearing that her husband would take one look at her and order the latest model.
    “Ahem, young lady, are you alright?” a mature woman’s voice broke through the ether.  Standing at the entrance to the bath area was a uniformed maid.  She wore her straightened black hair contained in a low bun.
    “I’m sorry, I’m just falling apart.  I don’t need any towels,” Mia said and laid her head back down on the carpet.
    “No, this won’t do,” the ghost said and bent down and ran a cool hand over Mia’s shoulders.
    Mia shivered and sat up quickly.  “Brrrrr, you ought to know that that isn’t comf…  Oh, you do know,” Mia said, catching the mischievous look on the woman’s face.
    Mia reached into the closet and put on the white terry robe.
    “Seems to me you’re having a pity party of one,” the ghost observed, moving by Mia to pick up her fallen towel and hang it up.
    “I’m allowed. I just had a baby,” Mia sniffed.
    “Of course you’re allowed. As long as it’s brief.  Us women don’t have time for such nonsense.  Not when there’s family at home waiting on us.  We have to do our work and then get our behinds home where we are appreciated and loved.”
    “Whoa, that’s a mouthful.  How long have you been dead?” Mia asked, tugging on the snarls in her hair with the comb.
    “Give that comb to me,” the ghost said.
    Mia complied.  The woman concentrated on detangling a rat’s nest before she brought the comb through Mia’s hair.  “My daughter has hair like this.”
    “Blonde?” Mia asked.
    The black woman’s reflection looked back at her